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(No Model.)

ORELL W. HODGES. PHOTOGRAPHIG PLATE HOLDER.

Patented Oct. 8, 189,5- Q W1.

ANDREW E GRAHAM.PHOTO-LITNQWASHING'ION DC UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ORELL IV. HODGES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN C.LEEDY, OF SAME PLACE.

PHOTOGRAPHlC-PLATE HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 547,487, dated October8, 1895.

Application filed December 5, 1894. Serial No. 530,944. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORELL W. HODGES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for AutomaticallyRemoving Dust, &c., from Photographic Plates or Films, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact specification.

It is well known that the transparent spots which often occur in thesensitized photographic surface, and which are a great source ofannoyance and expense, are due to the presence of dust or smallparticles of foreign opaque matter on the surface of the plate or filmwhile the exposure is being made, and

such surface is apt to become sprinkled with these small particles evenafterit has been carefully dusted and placed in the holder.

My invention is designed to overcome these difficulties, and it has forits primary object to provide improved means for automatically dustingthe photographic surface immediately before the exposure is made,whereby the liability of dust collecting upon such surface between thetime that the latter is exposed to the interior ofv the camera and thetime that the image is thrown thereon will be reduced to the minimum.

With these ends in view my invention consists in certain features ofnovelty in the construction, comhination,'and arrangement of parts bywhich the said object and certain other objects hereinafter appearingare attained, all as fully explained with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a face view of an ordinaryplateholder, showing the hinged sections open and embodying myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof, taken on theline 2 2, Fig. l, the sections being closed. Fig. 8 is a transversesectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 3 8, Fig.1. Fig.i is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 1,showing the slide partially drawn; and Fig. 5 is a detail sectional viewof the brush, illustrating a modification hereinafter explained.

Like signs of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

In carrying out my invention I arrange a brush or wiper, composed ofplush,'velvet, cloth, or some other suitable material, in such aposition in the plate-holder or film-holder that the withdrawal of theslide or the advancement of the film will cause such brush to engage andwipe the sensitized surface.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4, 1 represents theplate-holder, shown in the drawings as a two-part hinged holder; but theconstruction of the holder, per se, is, of course, immaterial, and myimprovements may be applied to a holder of any other form.

2 represents the sensitized plate held against the usual shoulder orflange 3 by means of a spring 4, and 5 indicates theslide which coversthe sensitized surface and whose edges slide in the usual grooves 6.

7 represents the brush or wiper, which may be composed of any suitablematerial, but preferably of some soft fabric, like plush or velvet,which will thoroughly remove the dust without scratching the sensitizedsurface. This brush 7 is attached to the inner end of the slide 5, sothat when the slide is withdrawn preparatory to making the exposure thebrush will be drawn across the entire surface of the plate, and thusautomatically thoroughly cleanse the latter before the image is castthereon.

For various reasons it is desirable to entirely withdraw the slide fromtheplate-holder when exposing the plate, and this heretoforenecessitated the employment of a valve or flap to close the slot 8 inthe end of the plateholder, through which the slide passes; but in myinvention I prefer to dispense with such valve or flap and cause thebrush to perform the twofold function of dusting the plate and alsoclosing the slot 8 when the slide is withdrawn. In order to accomplishthis, I so construct the brush thatit will cling to the slide until itstrikes the end of the holder adjacent to the slot and will then let go,permitting the slide to pass on out, while the brush will re main overthe slot 8 and in position to be again forced to the opposite end of theholder by the slide when the latter is inserted. In order to do this, Iprovide the brush with a spring-socket adapted to receive and cling tothe inner end of the slide 5, in the manner more clearly shown in Fig.4:. This socket is preferably constituted by bending a piece of metal 9or other suitable material into a U shape in cross-section that is,folding it over upon itself-so as to admit the slide and cling to thelatter until it encounters the end of the holder. The ends 10 of thissocket are carried across into the slots or grooves 6, and such ends areso bent, as shown in Fig. 3, that they will bind in the said grooves andhold the brush 7 in the position in which it is left by the slide. Thelower fold of the strip 9 is extended transversely, so as to enter theslot 8 when the slide leaves it, while the upper fold is provided with areverse turn or fold 11, forming a shoulder 12, which latter comesagainst the end of the holder and completely closes the slot 8. Thisreverse fold 11 also serves as a means for securing the brush 7, thelatter being pinched between the two folds of the strip, as will beunderstood. The shoulder 12, being rounded,also constitutes a guide forthe end of the slide and avoids the possibility of the latter catchingon the edge of the socket without entering it. If desired, however, thebrush may be secured permanently to the slide 5 by the simple methodshown in Fig. 5. The rivet 18 is passed through the slide and themetallic strip, which receives its end and holds the brush.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with aholder for photographic surfaces and a slidefor covering said surfaces, of a brush detachably secured to said slideand adapted to bear upon said surface, substantially as set forth.

" 2. The combination with a holder for photographic surfaces, and aslide for shielding said surfaces, of a brush arranged in said holderand having a socket adapted to receive the edge of said slide andthereby detachably secure said brush to the said slide, substantially asset forth.

3. The combination with a holder for photographic surfaces, having thegrooves 6 and the slide, of a brush detachably secured to said slide andadapted to project across said surface, and having spring ends wedged insaid grooves, substantially as set forth.

4:. The combination with a holder for photographic surfaces, having thegroove 6 and slot 8, and a slide adapted to fit in said grooves andslot, of a brush provided with ends or projections arranged in saidgrooves and having a spring socket located opposite said slot 8 andadapted to receive the end of said slide, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination With a holder for photographic surfaces, having aslide, of a strip folded upon itself and embracing said slide, a brushadapted to bear upon said surfaces, and said strip also having a returnfold 11 pinching and holding said brush, substantially as set forth.

ORELL W. HODGES. Witnesses:

E. A. HOUGHTON, A. E. HOUGHTON.

